Bangalore: The Karnataka CID today said one of
the victims in the Nityananada case was "in touch" with police
and efforts were on to convince the person to give a statement
"One victim is in touch with us", DIG CID Charan Reddy told
reporters here today, but refused to divulge details.
He said no one, except this victim, has come forward so far
to record a formal statement and be questioned by the
Investigating Officer in the case.
Reddy said the victim was apprehensive of media exposure
and urged them to be sensitive towards such matters.
He said Nityananda had not denied having entered into
reported non disclosure agreements with his devotees, relating
to "learning and practice of tantric secrets", exposure to
nudity and "close physical proximity and intimacy".
However such an agreement could not perhaps help him.
"There can be no enforced contract on illegal activities. But
we will consult experts on the contract".
He said the Tamil actress reportedly seen in a compromising
position with the godman in a video clipping, has not yet
presented herself for examination in response to notices sent
to her. Notices had been sent to her through her advocates.
The advocates of the actress have denied that she was seen
in the video.
Asked if Nityananda would be put through a potency test, he
said a decison would be taken after the victims give a
statement. He was evasive on whether Nityananda had requested
for any such test, stating a request by the accused did not
hold much significance.
To a query on whether the gender of the accused made any
difference to the case,he said the usual line of investigation
in a sexual assault case was to check whether the assault
actually took place and then to examine if the accused was
capable of committing it.
Reddy said they have received the interim report of CDs
seized at the godman`s ashram at Bidadi, sent to the Forensic
Sciences Lab for examination, but refused to share details,
saying it was crucial to investigation.
He said police are currently not looking at sending a team
abroad to visit Nityananda`s ashrams. "We do not need to visit
the ashrams now, but are willing to record the statement of
any witness when they visit India", he said.
Police have already shared details with central agencies
on financial transactions carried out by Nityananda, he said.
The self-styled godman landed in a controversy in March
after TV channels telecast purported video footage showing him
in a compromising position with a Tamil actress. He was
arrested at Solan in Himachal Pradesh on April 21, ending his
more than a month-long elusive run.
-PTI
